Container



Aug. 18, 1931.

J. WHITING CONTAINER Filed April 5. 1929 INVENTOR J; ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JASPER WRITING, OF DUBLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO CONTAINER PATENTS CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK conramnn This invention relates to an improved container of the type which has a hinged top for opening and closing during use, and which, whenclosed, efiects an alr-tight seal.

The invention is an improvement upon the structure shown in United States Pattent N 0. 1,469,567 dated October 2, 1923 and granted to Philip Wadsworth and myself.

An object of the invention is to provide a container of this character in which the sealing element is adapted for bodily movement with respect to the adjacent parts and, more particularly, for movement in a circumferential direction and for tilting or movement in a plane substantially at right angles to the plane of said circumferential movement.

Another object consists in providing a' container of this character in which the sealing element is held in operative position 2 without the use of any fastening members passing through the container cover and sealing element.

Another object consists in providing a container of this character in which the sealing element is removably mounted in the cover.

A further object consists in providing certain improvements in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts whereb the above named and other objects may e ectively be attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a con tainer embodying my invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 represents a detail section taken in the plane of the line II-II of Fig. 1 lookin 1n the direction of the arrows, and

%ig. 3 represents a detail plan view showing the hinge construction.

This invention is particularly adapted to containers of the kind designed for the temporary storage of food supplies and other materials which may be effected by the atmosphere as, for instance, with respect to theirconsistenc freshness, flavor or moist Yam; content. e air-tight sealing feature .of such containers enables the materials to be decanted from their original containers and retained in substantially unaltered condition while in position for ready accessibility.

In the form shown in the drawings, the container is represented as of the all metal type, but it will be understood that it could 'be made of other suitable materials, such, for

It will be observed that the shape ofthe band 3 is such that its upper edge or margin is of substantially less diameter than its lower edge which 1S seamed to the body at 4.

The cover of the container is marked 6, and it may be stamped with depressions, such as 7, in order to promote rigidity. This feature is conventional and may be adopted in any desired form, or dispensed with. I

The cover 6 has a depressed annular groove 8, adjacent its periphery and, at its extreme periphery, it has a depending flange 9. The lower edge'or margin of the flange 9 is folded back on itself, or rolled, so "as to confine and retain a wire 10. The wire 10 is split at one point and its adjacent ends are mounted in knuckles 11 of a hinge 12 that is secured, as

by rivets 13, to one side of the body 1 near the top thereof. The said ends of the wire are preferably bent slightly from the curve of the wire as a whole so as to be straight and in line with each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The flange 9 of the cover 6 is cut away to avoid contact with the hinge knuckles 11 upon opening of the cover, and a tongue 14 is formed intermediate said cut away portions for cooperation with a stop 15 struck out from the hinge 12 intermediate the knuckles 11, in order to determine the extent of the opening movement of the cover.

ent portions of the gasket and edge to contact For the purpose of securing the cover in closed position it is provided, opposite the hinge 12, with a hasp 16 that is mounted on the wire 10 and has it lower end pivoted, as indicated at 17, to a toggle lever 18. The latter is adapted for cooperative engagement with a latch 19 secured, as by rivets 20. to the body 1 of the container. This form of fastening members is conventional and well understood in this art.

The container also embodies a closure plate which is designed to effect the air-tight seal, and the said plate consists of a disk of sheet metal, or other suitable material, which has a centrally raised portion 21 and a peripheral rim 22. The said rim is grooved and bent so as to embrace and retain. a gasket 23 which may consist of rubber composition, cork composition, or other suitable material, suitably secured in place, as, for instance, by an adhesive.

The closure plate is intended to rest in the cover 6 with its raised portion 21 against the inside of the cover, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and, for the purpose of removably retaining the plate in the cover, the flange 9 of the latter is indented at diametrically opposed positions to provide lugs 24, 24. As both the cover and closure plate are preterably composed of somewhat resilient material, such as sheet metal, it will be understood that the closure plate may be inserted in position in the cover by snapping it past the lugs 24, and that it may be removed by manually pressing one side toward the top of the cover and prying under the opposite side with a flat instrument such, for instance, as a screwdriver.

The proportions of the parts hereinabove described are such that, when the cover is being closed, the gasket 23 in the closure plate will come in contact with the rolled edge 5 of the band 3 before complete closure is effected and, upon completing the closure, the rim 22 of the closure plate will necessarily yield and thereby bring about a very tight engagement between the gasket 23 and the rolled margin 5, thus effecting a substantially perfect seal. The depressed annular groove in the cover forms, on the inside thereof, a ridge to prevent too great yielding movement of the rim 22 which, if it occurred, might permanently distort it and tend to defeat the complete sealing effect by lessening the compressive contact of the parts.

The sealing function is facilitated by the loose assembly of the closure plate within the cover which enables it to tilt bodily as well as yield locally, and also to move in a circum ferential direction; because these capacities lead to a better seating of the gasket 23 upon the edge 5, particularly in case of any slight deformity of the parts, and the adaptability to circumferential movement permits differupon repeated closing which tends to prcvcn: the gasket from acquiring a permanent set.

Furthermore, the free mounting of the closure plate within the cover enabl s the former to be removed from the latter for cleansing purposes and also for repair or rcplacement. both of which are of substantial importance since they have bearing upon sanitation and perfect sealing. 7

Again, the absence of any fastening dcvices passing through thcclosurc plate and I cover for the purpose of securing the closure plate in position, obviates the presence of points of potential leakage; which lea kagc, if present. would, of course, tend to de teat the air tight feature even thou h the seal between the gasket 23 and the edge a were substantially perfect.

It will be i'inderstood that Various changes may be resorted to in the material. form. construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence, I do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown and described except as they may be included in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A container of the class described com prising, a body having an inwardly projecting portion adjacent its opening, a'cover, a closure member located within the cover and free to tilt bodily therein, said closure member consisting of a disk having an elevated central portion fitted to engage the cover and a yielding peripheral rim fitted to engage the inwardly projecting portion of the body, whereby the closing of the cover will compress the closure member against said inwardly projecting portion of the body and the freedom to tilt bodily will cause the closure member to effect an air tight seal.

2. A container of the class described comprising, a body having an inwardly projecting portion adjacent its opening, a cover, a closure member located within the cover and free to tilt bodily and to move bodily in a circumferential direction therein, said closure member consisting of a disk having an elevated central portion fitted to engage the cover and a yielding peripheral rim fitted to engage the inwardly projecting portion of the body, whereby the closing of the cover will compress the closure member against said inwardly projecting portion of the body and the freedom to tilt bodily and to move bodily in a circumferential direction will cause the closure member to effect an air tight seal.

3. A container of the class described comprising. a body having an inwardly projecting portion adjacent it opening, a cover. a closure member located within the cover and free to tilt bodily therein, means integral with the cover for retaining the closure member rcmovably within the cover, said closure member consisting of a disk having an elevated central portion fitted to engage the cover and a yielding peripheral rim fitted to engage the inwardly projecting portion of-the body,

whereby the closing of the cover will compress the closure member against said lnwardly proJecting portion of the body and the u freedom to tilt bodily will cause the closure member to efi'ect an air tight seal.

4. A container cover having a closure member located therewithin, said closure member being free to tilt bodily-in the cover, means integral with the cover for retaining the member removably within the cover, said closure member consisting of a disk having an elevated central portion fitted to engage the cover and a yielding peripheral rim fitted to engage the top of a container, whereby the closing of the cover will compress the closure member against the container and the freedom to tilt bodily will cause the closure member to effect an air tight seal.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 25th., day of March, 1929.

JASPER WHITING. 

